Lens processes incorporating job bags

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to job bags for use in the processing, handling, storage and/or transportation of lenses. In several embodiments, the job bags are used in combination with lens bags to transport lenses between various stations in a facility, where processes are applied to the lenses. One embodiment of the invention includes a front panel secured to a back panel, where the front and back panels are joined at least along a bottom edge and form a pocket configured to receive a document, and two vertical pockets formed on the front panel, where each vertical pocket is configured to receive a lens and to retain the lens in the vertical pocket when the job bag rests on its bottom edge.

The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/768,537 filed Apr. 27, 2010 which applicationclaimed priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/173,143 filedApr. 27, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to processes for handling lensesand more specifically to job bags for use during handling of lenses.

BACKGROUND

Lens processing and manufacturing typically involves movement of a pairof lenses from one station to another. Each pair of lenses typically hasaccompanying documentation. In many instances, the lenses andaccompanying documentation are placed in a tray for transport betweenthe various stages in the lens processing and manufacturing. Examples oftrays used in lens processing and manufacturing are shown in FIGS. 1 a-1c. The tray 1 shown in FIG. 1 a includes two lens holders 2 and acompartment 3 for the accompanying documentation. A tray that does notinclude lens holders is shown in FIG. 1 b. A baking tray on whichmultiple pairs of lenses are typically placed is shown in FIG. 1 c.

When lenses are not held within lens holders, they are free to slide asthe tray is transported and can often scratch each other. When a lens isscratched, the lens is typically discarded and a replacement lens isground resulting in a delay in delivery and an increase in cost. When asingle tray is used for each pair of lenses, then the number of pairs oflenses that can be transported by an operator can depend upon the heightof a stack of trays that can be carried by the operator and the spaceavailable at the operator's station. In addition, the number of pairs oflenses that can be processed by a facility is limited by the number oftrays available at the facility. Therefore, a significant number oftrays must be kept on hand occupying storage space in order to cope withincreases in demand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Use of job bags in accordance with embodiments of the invention duringthe processing, handling, storing, and/or transportation of lenses cansignificantly decrease the number of lenses that are lost or scratchedand must be discarded during manufacture. In addition, the job bags aretypically cheaper than trays, occupy less space and are easier to handlein large numbers. In many embodiments, the job bags include a lateralpocket configured to contain documentation, and two vertical pocketsconfigured to contain lenses. In a number of embodiments, lenses areplaced within lens bags prior to placement in the vertical lens pockets.In several embodiments, each lens is inserted within a lens bag. In manyembodiments, documents inserted into the lateral pocket bear a bar codein an upper corner and the lateral pocket includes an opening with aperimeter that exposes the bar code when the document is inserted in thelateral pocket. One embodiment of the invention includes a front panelsecured to a back panel, where the front and back panels are joined atleast along a bottom edge and form a pocket configured to receive adocument, and two vertical pockets formed on the front panel, where eachvertical pocket is configured to receive a lens and to retain the lensin the vertical pocket when the job bag rests on its bottom edge.

In a further embodiment, the front and back panels include at least abottom edge, a top edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge, andthe front and back panels are joined along at least their bottom edgesand one of their side edges to form a lateral pocket configured toreceive a document inserted between at least the other side edges of thefront and back panels.

In another embodiment, the document includes a bar code on a portion ofa document, and the front and back panels are configured to form thelateral pocket so that the portion of the document including the barcode extends from the job bag when the document is contained within thelateral pocket.

In a still further embodiment, the side edges of the front and backpanels of the job bag are formed so that the opening of the lateralpocket is shaped to expose the portion of said document including thebarcode when the document is contained within the lateral pocket.

In still another embodiment, the two vertical pockets are configured toreceive lenses contained in lens bags.

In a yet further embodiment, the opening of each of the two verticalpockets is at least 4.5 inches wide.

Yet another embodiment includes a job bag having a front panel securedto a back panel, where the front and back panel are joined at leastalong a bottom edge and form a pocket configured to receive a document,and two vertical pockets formed on the front panel, where each verticalpocket is configured to receive a lens and to retain the lens in thevertical pocket when the job bag rests on its bottom edge, a documentinserted into the pocket formed by the front and back panels of the jobbag, and a lens inserted in each of the vertical pockets.

In a further embodiment again, the front and back panels include atleast a bottom edge, a top edge, a first side edge, and a second sideedge, and the front and back panels are joined along at least theirbottom edges and one of their side edges to form a lateral pocketconfigured to receive a document inserted between at least the otherside edges of the front and back panels.

In another embodiment again, the document includes a bar code on aportion of the document, and the portion of the document including thebar code extends from the job bag.

In a further additional embodiment, the side edges of the front and backpanels of the job bag are formed so that the opening of the pocketconfigured to contain the document is shaped to expose the portion ofthe document including the barcode.

In another additional embodiment, each lens inserted in each of thevertical pockets is contained within a lens bag.

In a still yet further embodiment, each lens bag is a grease free bag.

In still yet another embodiment, the opening of each of the two verticalpockets is at least 4.5 inches wide.

An embodiment of the method of the invention includes, inserting eachlens into a separate vertical pocket of a job bag, where the job bagincludes at least two vertical pockets, and transporting the job bag.

A further embodiment of the method of the invention includes inserting adocument associated with the lenses in a separate pocket in the job bag.

In another embodiment of the method of the invention, the documentincludes a barcode on a portion of the document and the portion of thedocument that includes the barcode extends from the job bag when thedocument is inserted in the job bag.

In a still further embodiment of the method of the invention, the jobbag is formed so that the opening of the pocket containing the documentis shaped to expose the portion of the document including the barcode.

Still another embodiment of the method of the invention also includesreading the bar code at a point during the transportation of the jobbag.

A yet further embodiment of the method of the invention also includesinserting each lens in a separate lens bag prior to inserting the lensesinto the vertical pockets of the job bag.

In yet another embodiment of the method of the invention, each lens bagis a grease free bag.

In a further additional embodiment of the method of the invention, theopening of each of the two vertical pockets in the job bag is at least4.5 inches wide.

Another additional embodiment of the method of the invention alsoincludes placing the job bag on a tray with a plurality of other jobbags, and transporting the plurality of job bags using the tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIGS. 1 a-1 b are views of prior art trays for carrying pairs of lenses.

FIG. 2 is a view of a job bag in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a view of a pair of lenses contained within lens bags inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view of a job bag in which a lens contained within a lensbag has been inserted within each vertical pocket of the job bag inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 5 a & 5 b are views of a job bag in which a lens contained withina lens bag has been inserted within each vertical pocket of the job bagand documentation associated with the lens has been inserted within alateral pocket of the job bag in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 6 is a view of a bin containing a number of job bags in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning now to the drawings, job bags and processes for handling lensesincorporating job bags in accordance with embodiments of the inventionare shown. In a number of embodiments, the job bags incorporate twovertical pockets and a lateral pocket. A lens can be inserted in eachvertical pocket and documentation associated with the lenses can beinserted in the lateral pocket. In several embodiments, each lens isinserted within a lens bag. In many embodiments, documents inserted intothe lateral pocket bear a bar code and the lateral pocket includes anopening that exposes the bar code of a document inserted in the lateralpocket.

A job bag including vertical lens pockets and a lateral pocket inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2. Thejob bag 10 includes a left vertical lens pocket 12 and a right verticallens pocket 14 that are located on a front panel of the job bag. Thelens pockets are referred to as vertical lens pockets, because theopening of the lens pockets typically point upward during use to preventthe lenses from falling out of the vertical lens pockets when the jobbag rests on its bottom edge. The lens pockets are dimensioned so thatat least one lens can be contained within each pocket. When the lensesare for use in prescription glasses, the job bags typically have pocketsfor each lens having dimensions of at least 4.5″×4.5″. In a number ofembodiments, the opening of each pocket is at least 4.5″ wide. In manyembodiments, the dimensions of the pockets are chosen in accordance withthe requirements of the application. The job bag also includes a lateralpocket 16 formed by a front and back panel of the job bag. The lateralpocket can be used to contain a paper document, and typically includesan opening on one side of the job bag. In embodiments where the documentbears a bar code in an upper corner, the lateral pocket can include anopening with a perimeter that exposes the bar code of a documentinserted in the lateral pocket. In the illustrated embodiment, theperimeter of each side of the opening of the lateral pocket includes twonon-parallel sections that intersect. The first section 17 isperpendicular to the bottom edge of the job bag. The second section 18forms an angle with the side of the lateral pocket and the first section17. Although the opening of the lateral pocket is shown as being on theright hand side of the job bag illustrated in FIG. 2, the opening of thelateral pocket can extend around the right hand side and top of the jobbag, be in the top of the job bag, be in the left hand side of the jobbag, or extend around the left hand side and top of the job bag orinclude any other configuration appropriate to a specific application.

Two lens and lens bag combinations in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention are illustrated in FIG. 3. Each lens and lens bagcombination 20 includes a lens 22 inserted in a lens bag 24. The lensbag is typically constructed from a material that is less abrasive thanthe material used in the construction of the job bag. In manyembodiments, the lens bag is a grease free bag.

A job bag in which lens and lens bag combinations have been inserted ineach of the vertical lens pockets in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention is shown in FIG. 4. The job bag 10 includes a lens andlens bag combination 20 inserted in each of the left 12 and right 14vertical pockets. During repeated use, debris can accumulate in thevertical lens pockets. The lens bags that surround the lenses reduce thelikelihood that debris within a vertical lens pocket will scratch thesurface of the lens. In several embodiments, lenses are placed directlyinto the vertical pockets and inspections and/or other steps can beperformed to identify and/or prevent debris from lodging within thevertical pockets and scratching the lenses.

Insertion of a document into a lateral pocket in accordance with anembodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5 a & 5 b. Adocument 30 inserted into a lateral pocket of a job bag 10 in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention that includes a lens and lens bagcombination 20 inserted in one of its vertical lens pockets is shown inFIG. 5 a. The job bag includes an opening that has a perimeter thatexposes a bar code 32 present on the document 30 (see FIG. 5 b).Exposing the bar code in this way is optional, but can reduce thelikelihood of a misread during lens processing. In embodiments having aregular lateral pocket opening (i.e. one that has a perimeter that isperpendicular to the sides of the pocket), the frequency of misreads canincrease over the life of the job bag due to curling of the job bagmaterial at the opening of the lateral pocket. The curling of the jobbag material can result in multiple layers of material positionedbetween a bar code scanner and the bar code and reflections can preventreading of the bar code.

The use of job bags can provide a number of benefits compared to the useof a tray including reducing cost, increasing throughput and reducingspace requirements. A bin containing multiple job bags in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 6. As can beseen, an operator can transport a much larger number of job bags thanstacked trays. In addition, the cost of construction of each job bag ismuch lower than that of a tray and the storage requirements of the jobbags both in use and when idle are significantly lower. In this way,lenses and accompanying documentation can be transported between variousstations in a facility, where processes are applied to the lenses.

While the above description contains many specific embodiments of theinvention, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope ofthe invention, but rather as an example of one embodiment thereof.Although job bags described above include vertical lens pockets andlateral pockets, job bags in accordance with embodiments of theinvention can include a vertical pocket to contain documentation, thelens and lens bag combinations can be contained in a single verticalpocket, the openings of the pockets can be oriented differently and/orthe openings can be re-sealable, and/or the job bag could be a singlepocket in which lens and lens bag combinations and documentation areplaced. Furthermore, a single job bag in accordance with an embodimentof the invention can contain pockets for multiple pairs of lenses andtheir accompanying documentation. Accordingly, the scope of theinvention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, butby the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A job bag configured to transport a pair oflenses and at least one associated document, comprising: a front panelsecured to a back panel, where the front and back panels are joined atleast along a bottom edge and form a pocket configured to receive saiddocument; and two vertical pockets formed on the front panel, where eachvertical pocket is configured to receive a lens and to retain the lensin the vertical pocket when the job bag rests on its bottom edge.
 2. Thejob bag of claim 1, wherein: the front and back panels include at leasta bottom edge, a top edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge;and the front and back panels are joined along at least their bottomedges and one of their side edges to form a lateral pocket configured toreceive said document inserted between at least the other side edges ofthe front and back panels.
 3. The job bag of claim 2, wherein: saiddocument includes a bar code on a portion of said document; and thefront and back panels are configured to form the lateral pocket so thatthe portion of said document including the bar code extends from the jobbag when said document is contained within the lateral pocket.
 4. Thejob bag of claim 3, wherein the side edges of the front and back panelsof the job bag are formed so that the opening of the lateral pocket isshaped to expose the portion of said document including the barcode whensaid document is contained within the lateral pocket.
 5. The job bag ofclaim 1, wherein the two vertical pockets are configured to receivelenses contained in lens bags.
 6. The job bag of claim 1, wherein theopening of each of the two vertical pockets is at least 4.5 inches wide.7. A job bag assembly, comprising: a job bag including: a front panelsecured to a back panel, where the front and backs panel are joined atleast along a bottom edge and form a pocket; and two vertical pocketsformed on the front panel, where each vertical pocket is configured toreceive a lens and to retain the lens in the vertical pocket when thejob bag rests on its bottom edge; a document inserted into the pocketformed by the front and back panels of the job bag; and a lens insertedin each of the vertical pockets.
 8. The job bag assembly of claim 7,wherein: the front and back panels include at least a bottom edge, a topedge, a first side edge, and a second side edge; and the front and backpanels are joined along at least their bottom edges and one of theirside edges to form a lateral pocket configured to receive the documentinserted between at least the other side edges of the front and backpanels.
 9. The job bag assembly of claim 8, wherein: the documentincludes a bar code on a portion of the document; and the portion of thedocument including the bar code extends from the job bag.
 10. The jobbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the side edges of the front and backpanels of the job bag are formed so that the opening of the pocketconfigured to contain the document is shaped to expose the portion ofthe document including the barcode.
 11. The job bag assembly of claim 7,wherein each lens inserted in each of the vertical pockets is containedwithin a lens bag.
 12. The job bag assembly of claim 11, wherein eachlens bag is a grease free bag.
 13. The job bag assembly of claim 7,wherein the opening of each of the two vertical pockets is at least 4.5inches wide.
 14. A method of transporting a pair of lenses, comprising:inserting each lens into a separate vertical pocket of a job bag, wherethe job bag includes at least two vertical pockets; and transporting thejob bag.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising inserting adocument associated with the lenses in a separate pocket in the job bag.16. The method of claim 15, wherein the document includes a barcode on aportion of the document and the portion of the document that includesthe barcode extends from the job bag when the document is inserted inthe job bag.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the job bag is formedso that the opening of the pocket containing the document is shaped toexpose the portion of the document including the barcode.
 18. The methodof claim 16, further comprising reading the bar code at a point duringthe transportation of the job bag.
 19. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising inserting each lens in a separate lens bag prior to insertingthe lenses into the vertical pockets of the job bag.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein each lens bag is a grease free bag.